May 23, 2018
ALBUQUERQUE: Yesterday, Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich introduced the Chaco Culture Heritage Area Protection Act, a bill aimed at protecting one of New Mexico’s greatest cultural and historical treasures: Chaco Culture National Historic Park. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation applauds our Senators for their efforts to preserve the integrity of the Chaco landscape, recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The bill would withdraw 316,076 acres of federally-managed minerals surrounding Chaco Culture National Historic Park from future leasing and development. Existing federal leases, as well as any future state, private, or tribal leases within the Chaco landscape region would not be impacted by the proposal. The park sits in the San Juan Basin, one of New Mexico’s main oil and gas production basins in which the Bureau of Land Management has already leased approximately 90% of federally-managed minerals for development.
Chaco Culture National Historic Park and the surrounding landscape is a region of great spiritual significance to many of New Mexico’s Tribes and Pueblos. This bill has drawn strong support from the All Pueblo Council of Governors and Navajo Nation. Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Governor of Zuni Pueblo Val Panteah joined both Senators in a press conference to announce the introduction of the bill and voice their support.
“When it comes to development, our culture is too often considered last or not at all,” said New Mexico Wildlife Federation Acting Executive Director Todd Leahy. “This place of significant cultural importance to multiple New Mexico Tribes and Pueblos needs to be protected, and NMWF thanks Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich for protecting public lands, our past, and our sacred spaces for future generations.”
“We applaud Senators Udall and Heinrich for working alongside Tribal governments in crafting this bill,” said Sophie Shemas, Public Lands Fellow with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “They’ve incorporated years of proposals from the surrounding community into the act. It sets an example for tribal consultation of which I hope this administration will take note.”
Given it’s recognition by the United Nations, Chaco Culture National Historic Park brings tens of thousands of visitors to the region each year. This bill, and the protection of the Chaco landscape as a whole, will allow us to continue celebrating New Mexico’s history and sharing the diverse cultural legacy of our state with the world.
